Those darn, pesky Tibetans

 

Buddhist monks march in Xiahe, Gansu Province on March 14, 2008. AFP

Now I do acknowledge that it does take a lot to stand up to a bunch of monks, but do we really need to reward the Chinese with the Olympics because of it? I know that the Olympics will go on no matter what and that a Carter type boycott accomplishes nothing, but couldn’t a few high profile snubs (like dignitaries skipping the opening ceremonies) designed to mortify and embarrass the Chinese be a good and peaceful way to send the “Butchers of Beijing” a message?

What witnesses are saying

Earlier, on Friday, March 14, a Tibetan witness who joined the Lhasa protests reported as follows:

“Today when the Tibetans were demonstrating, many Tibetans were killed. We Tibetans had no weapons to fight back. When the Tibetans were gathered in front of the Jokhang [temple], the Chinese fired at us. I have personally seen more 100 Tibetans killed when the Chinese fired at the Tibetan crowd. It was the Chinese army who fired and that happened in Lhasa and I personally witnessed the tragedy. Many of those killed were young Tibetans, both boys and girls. …It started around 10 a.m. … Young kids, youths, male, female, and old, Tibetans of all ages were taken away to jail. The Tibetans who participated in the protests were from the whole Lhasa area. When I looked back all the Chinese shops were destroyed. I think not one Chinese shop is intact in the Barkhor area. All kinds of things were piled up on the main road and burned. Many vehicles were burned and destroyed. When I look right now, I can still see smoke. The Tibetans collected all the dead bodies in front of the Jokhang [temple] and offered prayers, and scarves. Those family members whose relatives were among those killed took their bodies away…

The ‘riots’ and protests have spread. Today the Chinese reported riots in Sichuan province and sympathy protests have appeared in Nepal and India as well.

Let my people go….

See also Paramilitaries Open Fire on Hundreds of Monks and Nuns at Tibet Rally and China Accuses Dalai Lama of Being a Terrorist.